When Visitors Attack Raw EEG Data

We investigated behavioral and neural correlates of spatial reasoning in 21 children aged 6-12 years-old during educational video game play. Behavioral measures included child performance in learning the concept during the pretest, practice, and posttest portions of the game. Neural correlates using electroencephalography focused on event-related potentials, N2 and P3, and joint-time frequencies specifically alpha at three sites; F3, F4, and Pz. Results indicate that all of the participants exhibited naïve conceptions regarding the optics concept, and children 8-12 were successful in learning through video game play. Analyses of correct versus incorrect trials uncovered several interaction effects at the left superior frontal sulcus (F3). Suppression of alpha waves at F3 coincided with correct responses on the posttest. We conclude that suppression of alpha at F3 is essential for spatial concept learning and suggest further research into the field of optical spatial reasoning and spatial learning limitations exhibited by young children.